About Auto Paradise of Arizona
WELCOME TO "PARADISE" OF SEARCHING FOR A PRE-OWNED VEHICLE
Let me start out by saying... This is not a large dealership, we are a very small, boutique dealer.
It is myself and my wife Jessica. We have been doing this for over 30+ years now. We generally have 10-15 vehicles in inventory that have been hand-picked by Jessica and I... the "cream puffs" of the car business. I started this business as a hobby, because I enjoy it, we don't want to be "BIG". In the past 30+ years we have been "big", "medium" and "small". We chose to be "small", and we are back to doing it as a fun hobby again.... this allows us to really deal in the cars that we would purchase for ourselves or for a friend or family member, the CREAM PUFFS!
IF YOU HAVE BEEN SHOPPING FOR A VEHICLE, EVEN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, YOU NEED TO READ THIS PAGE, I KNOW YOU WILL RELATE TO IT AND MAYBE HAVE A FEW LAUGHS.
Let's get started, I know your time is valuable.
Wait a minute... "you set appointments to see and drive your cars"? "That seems somewhat unique and different"?
We have found that when we have an appointment with you, that it will provide us with the ability to serve you better, it is also a more efficient way to manage our time together. Also, there are no salespeople... Jessica and I are the salespeople. So, as you can see, working by appointment is a very efficient way to sell vehicles.
We spend a considerable amount of time finding these very unique and boutique types of vehicles that you see on this website, that is actually the most time-consuming part of our occupation, we get asked all of the time, "How do you find these cars", our answer...IT IS NOT EASY! One of the main reasons we are such a small, boutique dealer is because there are not many of these vehicles out there.
- We would rather be small and deal in "unique cream puffs" then be big and deal in "average junk".
The experience you have when you do business with us may take you by surprise, IF YOU LIKE THE GAMES THE BIG DEALERSHIPS PLAY, THEN YOU NEED TO BE "WARNED", WE DON'T PLAY THOSE GAMES!
WARNING: We have no salespeople, finance managers, etc. It's just Jessica and I, we are a husband-and-wife team.
WARNING: We don't pressure or harass you into purchasing a vehicle from us. If we need to "talk you into it" then it just isn't meant to be. We let our vehicles sell themselves, that is why we don't have or need salespeople.
WARNING: We don't call you 3 times a day for 3 weeks just because you "inquired" about one of our vehicles.
WARNING: We let you, the customer make up your own mind on when and how you want to do business with us.
WARNING: When you first walk in our door for your appointment, you will be provided with the Carfax report.
WARNING: You will also be provided the brochure off of our website with the out the door price clearly written down and highlighted so you can decide if it is the right fit for you.
WARNING: You do not have to go through three or four "managers" in order to get the absolute best price, it will be clear to you from the start and the price is backed up by a "BEST PRICE GUARANTEE"...We have done the shopping for you!
WARNING: We know, it's hard to believe, that in the car business, you can set an appointment and when you get there you are immediately given 100% transparency for your potential purchase, that you won't be harassed for 3 month's if you choose not to purchase the car, that you are doing business with someone that doesn't have to push the sale down your throat.
WARNING: We promise, when you show up for your appointment, you will not be greeted by 7 salespeople that just jumped out of the bushes as soon as you pull up.
WARNING: We hope your sitting down, the vehicle that you called us on, you know, the one you came to look at...hold on, I know it's going to be hard to believe this one...it will actually be here when you get here! We do NOT advertise vehicles that we don't really have for sale.
If you like all of the typical "dealership" games, then we are not the right fit for you.
Our time is increasingly valuable to us as we know your time is valuable to you. The biggest comment we get from our customers is "This is the first vehicle that we have looked at that is actually in the condition that it was advertised" - once again, we are upfront about the vehicles because we want the first person that looks at it to buy it. We have learned after 30 years in this business that if you put the extra time, money and effort into making sure the vehicle is as near perfect as possible, the first person that looks at it will buy it...once again, it saves all of us time and most importantly we take the games out of the buying process!
Why are there 40 to 70+ pictures of every vehicle on our website?
BECAUSE WE ARE NOT HIDING OR COVERING UP ANYTHING!
"Most" dealers, big and small, take only "generic" pictures of their vehicles. Why do they do this... because they don't want you to see the flaws in their vehicle, you know the rip on the side of the seat, the scrape in the corner of the bumper, the leather cracks and wear marks in the leather, center caps missing on the wheels, etc. If you have been shopping for even 1 day, you know what I am talking about.
They want you to come out, that is most dealerships goal, just to get you to their lot (to waste your valuable time). After you are there they believe that they can "sell you" on their vehicle. How many times have you heard "It's a used car, It's 9 years old"? This is the response and "excuse" you get from them when you point out the many flaws in the vehicle, that they told you, and advertised was in "Excellent/Like New" condition.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO "QUALITY"
(1). "TIME": Most small dealers have the "turn and burn" philosophy. They want to, and more importantly, "have to" turn that vehicle as fast as possible. Most dealers have what is called a "floor plan", this is a loan through the bank on that piece of inventory. They have 30-60 days to sell that car from the time they bought it at the auction. This is why they can't "afford" to make the car right, it's not just that they are being cheap and don't want to spend the money to make it right for you, it's also that they do not have the time to make it right. Imagine this, by the time the vehicle goes through a mechanic shop (2-3 days), then goes to the paint shop to have that nasty, ugly bumper scrape fixed (2-3 days...sometimes 2 weeks, now in this market that everyone is short handed), then it goes to detail (1-2 days), then the upholstery shop for that rip in the seat (2-3 days). I think you are getting the point, to make a vehicle "right" it takes time and effort. Most dealers have pictures on their website the next day after they have purchased it at auction.
(2). "MONEY": It is expensive to go through and make a used vehicle truly nice and more importantly make it "right" for the customer.
(3). "EFFORT": We genuinely enjoy this business, we do it because we like it, it's not just a "business" to us...it is now our hobby again. Most dealers treat this business with a "turn and burn" philosophy. They look at it as one thing and one thing only, "turn that money". They don't want to put any extra effort into the car, it's just "business" to them.
If you are tired of looking at junk and you truly want a vehicle that is "as advertised" then you have reached the right people, the comment that we have received the most over the past 29 years is... "This is the first vehicle we have looked at that is really in the condition that you advertised it"
- If you are OK with a few rips, tears, mismatched tires, leather cracks, dings, dents, oil leaks, etc., then we are NOT the car people for you. We spend the time, money and effort to make sure our cars are in the condition that we would want for ourselves or a family member. As you read this "About Us" section you will come to realize that we really are different then the other's and we truly take pride in what we do and how we do it.
"BUSINESS HOURS"
Monday thru Friday: "BY APPOINTMENT"
Saturday: "BY APPOINTMENT"
Sunday: "BY APPOINTMENT"
ALL VEHICLES ARE SHOWN "BY APPOINTMENT"
What seems to work best is to call or text about 1-2 hours before you want to come out. 99% of the time we can make appointments work with a 1–2-hour notice.
Special arrangements can be made for out of state buyers who are picking up vehicles before or after hours.
We want you to remember this is a very small boutique business, if our family is going to go out of town for a 3-day weekend, there are no "salespeople" to show you the car. If you're interested in a car and we are unavailable, we will have to work together to find a convenient time to get together. In most cases we have the phone transferred and we can still be reached. Also, these vehicles are hard to find. On occasion, we have to go out of town 2-3 days at a time just to buy a few cars.
"PHONE NUMBERS"
602-446-3851 Main/Cell/Text
"LOW PRICE GUARANTEE"
All of our vehicles are competitively priced; we do NOT inflate our prices; we do our best to be the lowest priced for a comparably equipped vehicle with comparable miles and Carfax history in our local Phoenix market. We offer a LOW-PRICE GUARANTEE, We will meet or beat any competitor's price. If you find one in our local Phoenix Market that is priced better than ours, is in comparable condition, has comparable miles and has a comparable vehicle history report, please bring it to our attention and we will meet or beat their price.
"OUT OF STATE BUYER'S, SHIPPING AND TRANSPORT"
We have been helping our customers transport/ship their vehicles for 32+ years, We can help you get your new vehicle shipped right to your front door.
Around 50% of the vehicle's we sell get sold to out of state buyers, so we are very familiar with the process.
"TRADE INS"
We take trades!
We will pay TOP DOLLAR for low mileage, one and two owner vehicles!
We will buy your low mileage vehicle from you for CASH even if you don't buy ours!
If you have a higher mileage, not so desirable trade, we will also consider that. However, we will probably offer you the "auction value" for that vehicle. If it does not fit the high level of quality that we are comfortable reselling to a valued customer, then that is the best we can do, straight to the auction it goes...sorry, just being upfront and honest - Remember, no games.
"FINANCING"
Please click on the "financing" tab on this website, at the top of the page, to answer any questions you may have about financing
Now that we are semi-retired, we no longer offer "In House Financing"...
However, after 30+ years in this business we do know the right credit unions to refer you directly to, if your credit score is around a 650 or higher.
We do NOT have any referrals for "Sub-Prime" or "Credit Challenged" credit situations
NOW, A LITTLE "ABOUT US"
IN BUSINESS FOR 30+ YEARS AND COUNTING
My name is Brett I have been in the automotive business since February of 1992. Let me tell you a little bit about why I got into this business, how my wife Jessica got involved, and what it is that we do here at Auto Paradise of Arizona.
How and why I got into this business - my personal story...
I grew up in Minnesota on an Arabian horse farm. I moved to Phoenix when I was a teenager to go to school. While I was in College I needed to buy a good quality and dependable used car to get me thru school and get back and forth to my job. Of course I was on a budget and wanted to get the "best" deal. I did what so many people do when they look for a used car, I "wallet" shopped over the phone and chased all of the vehicles that I thought were the "best deals". I happened upon a 1985 Nissan 300ZX with pretty low mileage and it was priced really "fair"... pretty cool car back than for a 19 year old! I did what we all do, I called the guy to schedule a time to look at it... this is when this farm boy from Minnesota found out that not all people are honest and trust worthy!
A valuable lesson in life and in people:
When the guy answered the phone I noticed he said "which car" when I asked him if "the car" was still for sale...I did not think much of it at the time. I scheduled a time to "meet" him at the Jack and the Box parking lot that afternoon...his choice to meet there. While I was looking at the car I asked him how long he has owned it? He stated that it was not his car and he was selling it for a relative...once again, I did not think much of it at the time. I proceeded to test drive the car and noticed that the car was pulling to the left, I asked him about it and he "assured" me that it was no problem and that the car just needed an alignment. He also assured me that "the car had just been completely gone thru mechanically and that there would be absolutely no problems with this car". Not knowing any better (why didn't he do the alignment if it was no big deal) at the time I gave him a deposit on the car with the understanding I would pick it up the next day.
The next day...
I went to pick the car up the next afternoon (at the Jack and the Box parking lot). When I arrived I asked him to see the title? He proceeded to show it to me... as I was looking at the front of the title he suddenly grabbed it from my hands and flip it over and showed me the back and pointed out that the title had already been signed and notarized and he assured me that I would have no problems when I went to Motor Vehicle to transfer the title into my name. For some reason by this point I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with him so I decided I wanted to see his I.D. When he showed me his I.D. I noticed for his address it had a P.O. Box listed. Knowing what I know now I should have listened to my gut and walked away from this deal...something just felt wrong! But... I did what so many people do, I got caught up in the "great deal" I was getting on the car and proceeded to finalize the sale and drove home with my new 300ZX!
A few days later...
I knew I had to get my new shiny car aligned at the shop! I proceeded to drop it off at the local Firestone (I was so excited that I would not have to fight the steering wheel any longer to keep the car straight). A couple of hours later I received a phone call from the guy at the Firsetsone... he said "I have some bad news for you", "this car has been in a severe accident and the frame is bent and there is nothing we can do here to fix the alignment problem". I was devastated! I went to pick up my car... I was nearly in tears! I went back to my apartment and called my father. I was talking to him and he asked me if I had transferred the title yet? I said "no, I have it right here on the kitchen counter". He asked me to pick it up and see if there was any indication marked on the front of the title of a prior accident. I told my dad that there was something that said "Rest/Salvg". My dad did not say anything for a minute... I asked him "are you still there". He said "I am sorry son, you bought a car that has a salvaged title". He proceeded to explain to me what that meant (Refer to the "purchasing advise" section of this website to find out what a salvaged title is). I was in tears now!
THE NEXT NIGHTMARE WITH THIS CAR:
I was driving to work and all of a sudden the car just quit running! Guess what?... the timing belt broke! To top it off all of the valves bent in the engine! I was 19 years old at this time and had few resources and not much money. Not knowing any better I had the car towed to the Nissan dealer (of course I know now that an independent shop does as good if not a better job fixing most vehicles for nearly half the price). Remember I was 19 at this time, the dealership did not have anyone that would rent me a car! In order to get to work and school I was forced to purchase an old Toyota Celica with a ton of miles on it. TWO MONTHS later my Nissan Z was ready to be picked up ($2,000 later).
The conclusion and what brought me into the car business:
I did eventually get the car perfect (many thousands of dollars later). I decided I wanted to buy a Toyota pick up and it was time to sell this "lesson" and move on. I sold my 300ZX for what I had paid for it a few months earlier (I ended up losing over $5,000 in just a few months). I still owned the high mileage Toyota Celica and was using it to get back and forth to work and school. I then proceeded to sell the Celica and I did get that Toyota pick up and than I sold that truck and bought another one... I know you see where this is going. Next thing you know I was by accident buying and selling cars for extra money while I was in school. I decide after I was finished with school I would try doing this as a career...here I am this many years later!
My goal and promise to my customers:
I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO HELP PREVENT YOU FROM MAKING THE COSTLY MISTAKE I MADE!!!
Even if you DO NOT choose to buy a vehicle from me I want to help educate you from making a similar mistake! please go to my "purchasing advice" tab and please BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!
First let me give you a brief summary of what we do here...
My wife and I are what you would call a "Boutique" styled auto dealer, we mainly deal in "one" and "two owner" hand-picked low mileage vehicles. My wife and I hand pick these vehicles! We very seldom go to your everyday "auto auction". The vehicles we "hand pick" are generally from larger styled dealerships and they are the "trade ins" that they take when selling other vehicles. We pride ourselves in the quality vehicles that we provide to our valued clients. Every car is backed up by a 30-day BUMPER TO BUMPER limited warranty that is exclusive, and hand tailored to Auto Paradise of Arizona customers.
Why do we not go to the big auto auctions? Good question, let me explain...
I have found in the many, many years that I have been in this business that the BIG auto auctions are where you go to buy two different types of cars (if you want anything good). The first type of vehicles are Newer and more expensive vehicles like "lease returns" or "rental cars". The Second type of vehicle is a "bank repossession". These are the only types of vehicles that are worth buying at the big auto auctions!! We do not go to the BIG auctions because generally we deal in vehicles that are in a price range from $9,995 to $19,995. The newer lease returns and rental cars are not generally in this price range! As far as bank repos go... there really are not enough these days to make it worth the effort to spend all day at the auction and generally people do not let "cream puffs" with low mileage get reposed! So, all that is left are the vehicles that they really did not want and that are not worth making the payments on!
Why don't we try to buy the ONE OWNER and LOW MILEAGE cars at the BIG auction? Another good question!
The FEW vehicles that are at the BIG auto auctions that do fit our very strict guidelines are what I like to call "teasers". What I mean by this is that you almost always get disappointed after you do your research on the car (Carfax, Autocheck, Mechanical, Overall History, Etc.). They end up having accident history, 5 owners, extreme mechanical problems, previous body work, etc. In other words, they are the vehicles that some other retail car dealer or wholesaler is trying to dump so they do not have to put their name on them. Well guess what, I do NOT buy these types of vehicles and I do not want to put my reputation on them either!!!
Here is the bottom line on BIG auto auctions...
Everybody in the car business knows what the majority of consumers in this market want... They want ONE & TWO OWNER, LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES IN PRISTINE ORIGINAL CONDITION! Most important, the majority want them to be in the $10,000 to $20,000 price range! If this type of vehicle is being run through a BIG auto auction there is almost always a reason for it... and that reason is that THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT and that the seller knows it is going to cost too much to fix or they know it has accident history or some other problem that they do not want to deal with!!!
So how do we get our vehicles?
It is actually very simple (after 30+ years of experience)... I buy from dealerships that specialize mainly in financing! Most well-known banks will only finance on a car that is 5-8 model years old. In other words the dealerships we buy from do not cater to the cash buyer or the customer who is going to go and get their own loan from a credit union.
Why are we so small? Why are there so few vehicles on our website?
With the current market conditions of quality pre-owned vehicles being extremely hard to find, a lot of the new and large dealerships have decided to keep these types of vehicles and try to "retail" them... this has made it even more difficult to obtain the "cream puffs" that we deal in. Unlike most "larger" used car dealers we refuse to lower our standards just to fill a hole in our inventory! If it does not meet our high standards, we will just keep shopping until we get the right ones... no matter where we have to go and how hard we have to work! We will NOT compromise QUALITY!!